How many is enough?

Component manufacturer SRAM has announced a complete new high-end mountain bike groupset to be available mid-year 2009. Dubbed ‘XX’ the new group “will exceed the demands of the cross-country athlete through all-new technologies focused on precision, efficiency, and weight,” according to SRAM. Like the Red road group, it will be a true joint development between the SRAM, RockShox, Avid and Truvativ divisions.

Beyond that, SRAM is keeping its cards very close to its chest to prevent a fast response from rival Shimano. Shimano is reliably reported to be developing a ten-speed mountain bike group in response to previous rumours of a new SRAM group.

One reliable rumour, though, concerns comparison between XX and Shimano’s current top-end road bike groupset. XX will weigh, we hear, the same as the 2009 Dura-Ace groupset.

While what follows is unofficial, the group’s intended use, SRAM’s recent road components and documented spy photos provide enough ammunition for us to think we can guess accurately what SRAM’s up to.

More Here